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Salvador Dali had a pet ocelot. What was its name?

Mammals - South American Mammals

South America is home to rainforest hunters, mountain grazers and strange insect-eaters. This quiz explores famous mammals, where they live, and the clues that help you spot them.

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Fascinating Fact

Capybaras are the world’s largest rodents, and they spend a lot of time near water where they can swim to escape danger.

South American mammals live in very different environments, from the Amazon rainforest to the high Andes and the wide grasslands. You can often identify them by their size, shape, teeth, paws, tail, and even signs like tracks, burrows, or scratch marks on trees.

Key Terms

Amazon rainforest: A huge tropical forest in South America with hot, wet conditions and very high biodiversity.
Andes: A long mountain range in western South America where many animals are adapted to cold and thin air.
Nocturnal: Active mainly at night, often to avoid heat or to hunt more safely.

Frequently Asked Questions (Click to see answers)

What are some well known mammals that live in South America?

Well known South American mammals include jaguars, sloths, armadillos, giant anteaters, tapirs, capuchin monkeys, and llamas or alpacas. Many species are linked to specific habitats such as rainforest or mountains.

How can you tell a jaguar from a leopard by its spots?

Jaguars usually have larger rosette-shaped spots that often contain a small dot in the middle, while leopards typically have rosettes without a central dot. Jaguars also tend to look stockier with a broader head.

Why do many rainforest mammals have strong claws or gripping feet?

Strong claws and gripping feet help rainforest mammals climb, hold onto branches, find food, and escape predators. In dense forests, moving safely through trees can be as important as running on the ground.

Try These Related Quizzes

To see a larger image, click on the picture.

1 .

What is the collective name for a group of porcupines?

Photograph courtesy of Dave Pape

Arrow

Spike

Curling

Prickle

Order: Rodentia
Family: Erethizontidae
Genus: Coendou
Species: C. prehensilis
Porcupine means 'one who rises up in anger'.
They are expert climbers.
Nocturnal and mostly solitary.
The tail and face have no quills.
Will stamp their hind feet when excited.

2 .

Can you identify this South American mammal?

Photograph courtesy of Malene Thyssen

Giant Armadillo

Silky Anteater

Southern Tamandua

Giant Anteater

Order: Pilosa
Family: Myrmecophagidae
Genus: Myrmecophaga
Species: M. tridactyla
A solitary creature that has no teeth.
Their average body temperature of 32.7^oC is one of the lowest of all land-living mammals.
Although it can swim, it stays mostly on dry land.

3 .

What is a Brown-throated Three-toed sloth's natural environment?

Photograph courtesy of Christian Mehlführer

Prairie

Jungle

Savanna

Woodland

Order: Pilosa
Family: Bradypodidae
Genus: Bradypus
Species: B. variegatus
Has no incisor or canine teeth.
In addition, this animal has no gall bladder or appendix.
Most of its life is spent in the high branches of trees.
It spends up to 18 hours a day asleep.

4 .

Can you identify this South American mammal?

Photograph courtesy of http://ragesoss.com/blog/

Maned Wolf

Hoary Fox

Bush Dog

Gray Fox

Order: Carnivora
Family: Canidae
Genus: Chrysocyon
Species: C. brachyurus
Has been called a 'red fox on stilts'.
Its urine has a distinctive smell which has been likened to cannabis.
Hunts alone and doesn't form packs.
A shy animal that will run away if alarmed.

5 .

Can you identify this South American mammal?

Photograph courtesy of Tomfriedel

Speckled bear

White-face bear

Black bear

Spectacled bear

Order: Carnivora
Family: Ursidae
Genus: Tremarctos
Species: T. ornatus
The only surviving species of bear native to South America.
They are non-territorial and will react cautiously if encountered by humans.
In traditional Chinese medicine, this bear's gall bladder is highly valued.

6 .

Can you identify this South American mammal?

Photograph courtesy of Bjørn Christian Tørrissen

Baird's Tapir

Mountain Tapir

South American Tapir

Malayan Tapir

Order: Perissodactyla
Family: Tapiridae
Genus: Tapirus
Species: T. bairdii
A group of this animal is called a 'candle'.
Babies are born with a dappled pattern on their skin.
Closest living relatives are horses and rhinos.
Habitat is forests and grasslands.

7 .

What is the name for a baby llama?

Photograph courtesy of www.flickr.com/photos/jpodlech/

Kid

Cria

Bambino

Llamaby

Order: Artiodactyla
Family: Camelidae
Genus: Lama
Species: L. glama
Has a uniquely adapted foot that allows them to travel a variety of terrain.
The foot is two-toed with a leathery pad on the bottom and curved nails.
Communication is through a humming noise.

8 .

Salvador Dali had a pet ocelot. What was its name?

Photograph courtesy of http://digitalmedia.fws.gov/

Booboo

Baby

Babou

Bibby

Order: Carnivora
Family: Felidae
Genus: Leopardus
Species: L. pardalis
A small wild cat.
Mainly nocturnal and fiercely territorial.
Inhabits places that have thick vegetation cover.
Has been kept as a pet.

9 .

Can you identify this South American mammal?

Photograph courtesy of www.flickr.com/photos/verzo/

Agouti

Guinea pig

Chinchilla

Capybara

Order: Rodentia
Family: Caviidae
Genus: Hydrochoerus
Species: H. hydrochaeris
It is the largest living rodent in the world.
Its common name means 'master of the grasses'.
A semi-aquatic mammal found wild in most of South America.

10 .

Can you identify this South American mammal?

Photograph courtesy of Dario Sanches

Common Marmoset

Emperor Tamarin

Black Howler Monkey

Buffy Saki

Order: Primates
Family: Callitrichidae
Genus: Callithrix
Species: C. jacchus
Native to Brazil.
A small animal - the average height for a male is 188 mm (7.4 in).
They can cling vertically to a tree, run across branches quadrupedally and leap between trees.

Author: Sarah Garratty

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